Penstemon plant named ‘Boysenberry Taffy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Penstemon  plant characterized by large dark red purple flowers, long bloom time, showy dark purple seed capsules when young, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown from the base, clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Penstemon hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Boysenberry Taffy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPenstemon, given the name, ‘Boysenberry Taffy’. Penstemon is in thefamily Scrophulariaceae. This plant originated a controlled breedingplan to create a compact, upright, large flowered series. The exactparents are unknown, unnamed proprietary plants. This cultivar wasselected for its compact growing habit, large flowers in dense clusters,long flowering time, vigor, and clean attractive look. It is an idealplant for a sunny border in full sun.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Port Wine’ (an unpatented plant), the newcultivar is shorter and has a lighter flower color.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Raven’ (an unpatented plant), the new cultivarhas a smaller flowers and the habit isn't as well branched.

Penstemon ‘Boysenberry Taffy’ is uniquely distinguished by its:

-   -   1. large dark red purple flowers,    -   2. long bloom time,    -   3. showy dark purple seed capsules when young,    -   4. upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown from the        base,    -   5. clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and    -   6. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand micropropagation using terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby,Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions cometrue to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows the new cultivar in the trial field in full bloom inmid-July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Penstemon cultivarbased on observations of one year-old specimens grown outside in theground in the trial beds in Canby, Oreg. in October. The colordescriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Form.—Upright, branching.        -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 7-10.        -   Size.—Grows to 60 cm wide and 60 cm high.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Stem number.—About 10 stems from the crown.        -   Stem.—Upright, grows to 49 cm long and 6 mm wide (at the            base), glabrous at base to glandular pubescent toward            peduncle, internodes grow to 4 cm long, Yellow Green 146B.        -   Rooting.—Roots easily from stem cuttings.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, main vein on top and bottom side Yellow            Green 145C.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 10 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.        -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.        -   Leaf color.—Topside Green 137A, bottom side closest to            Yellow Green 146A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal, many flowered, dense thyrse.        -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—About 40.        -   Size of inflorescence.—Grows to 27 cm long and 11.5 cm wide.        -   Peduncle.—Grows to 5 cm long and 4 mm wide, pubescent,            Yellow Green 146C.        -   Pedicel.—Grows to 7 mm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent, Yellow            Green 146C in shade and Greyed Purple 183C in sun.        -   Bloom period.—Mid June to frost in October in Canby, Oreg.            if spent flowers are removed.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—3 cm long and 13 mm wide.        -   Description.—Closed tubular, bulging, flattened ventrically.        -   Color.—Purple N79C.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic, perfect.        -   Shape.—Tubular, bilabiate.        -   Size.—Grows to 4 cm long and 4 cm wide.        -   Corolla description.—Grows to 4 cm long and 4 cm wide; tube            is funnel-form in the calyx for 5 mm long and 5 mm wide,            inflating for 25 mm and flaring to 16 mm wide, 5 lobes, the            two smaller top lobes flare back (each 13 mm wide and to 8            mm deep) and two larger lateral lobes flare out (15 mm wide            and 11 mm deep), and the lower lobe flares down (16 mm wide            and 12 mm deep), lobe margins entire to slightly jagged,            tips obtuse; outside glandular pubescent, inside sparsely            pubescent; outside color Purple N79B, inside color Purple            N79B lightening to N79C in tube.        -   Calyx description.—9 mm deep and 11 mm wide, 5 overlapping            lobes cut to the base, each lobe broadly ovate in shape, 9            mm deep and 8 mm wide, margins variable (entire, notched and            frilled), tip acute, base cuneate, both sides Greyed Purple            187A in high light and Yellow Green 146C in low light,            glabrous inside and glandular pubescent outside.        -   Pistil description.—1, 32 mm long, ovary 7 mm long and 3 mm            wide, Yellow Green 145A; style 25 mm long and less than 1 mm            wide, style Red Purple 61A on bottom half and White NN155C            on top half, stigma White NN155C.        -   Stamen description.—5, one sterile without an anther, held            within the corolla 14 mm long, filaments 25 to 30 mm long            and White NN155C, anthers 3 mm wide and 3 mm deep, Greyed            Purple N187A, pollen White NN155C.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness.—A flower lasts 5 to 6 days.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—Capsule.        -   Fertility.—Good.        -   Size.—1.7 cm deep and 7 mm wide.        -   Color.—Purple N79B before they dry out to Brown 200A.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—Irregular.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Brown 200A.-   Pests and diseases: The new cultivar is typical to the genus. No    known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have been found    in Canby, Oreg.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant substantiallyas shown and described.